Subway billboards tell Torontonians to leave and get a 'bigger house' in Alberta
A series of billboards at one of Toronto’s busiest subway stations is directly targeting the frustrations of young people living in the city by offering an alternative – Alberta.
“A bigger house. Closer to work,” one billboard at Yonge-Bloor station reads with a parallel image of a cyclist. Another says, “An engineer, accountant and plumber walk into a province. They all get jobs.”
At the bottom of each billboard, the tagline, “Alberta is calling,” nudges at a solution to these problems.
This new ad campaign is part of a $2.6 million ploy designed by the Alberta government to lure people from Toronto.
Earlier this week, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made a trip to downtown Toronto to drive that message home.
“There is a place in this country where you can afford to buy a home,” Kenney said. “That place is called Alberta.”
According to Kenney, a detached home on average costs $1.2 million in the Greater Toronto Area, compared to $425,000 in Calgary and $360,000 in Edmonton.
“It felt like a commentary about Toronto from an unusual source that some things here have gone very wrong,” Shoshanna Saxe told CTV News Toronto after noticing the ads while travelling through Yonge-Bloor station.
As an associate professor in civil engineering at the University of Toronto with an expertise in urban infrastructure, she was keenly aware of the targeted messaging surrounding housing and transit in Toronto.
“It was putting a finger right on the key challenges Toronto is facing,” she said.
Videos on the Alberta is Calling website take the message a step further.
“My name is Alycia. I live in Calgary, Alberta. I moved here from Toronto three years ago,” a young mother says in one advertisement while her two children happily play in their backyard.
“The cost of housing in Toronto is astronomical,” she goes on to say as she sits in a modern house with light flooding in and ample room for her kids to run around.
“It’s honestly night and day what we have. Now I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”
In another video, Natasha reassures Torontonians who are hesitant about making the move.
“The pieces that I was thinking I was going to have to leave behind in Toronto, I’ve found them here as well,” she said.
“It’s really rewarding as a young person to make your own life and build your own community and find your own interests.”
Saxe said these ads are working to re-brand Alberta, venturing away from common associations with the province, like trucks and oil, and instead, gravitating towards biking and exploration.
“As a city, we want Toronto to be saying we see you, we’re going to work on that,” she said.
Have you moved from Ontario to Alberta? We'd like to hear from you.
To tell your story, send us an e-mail here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
IN PHOTOS Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Mildmay, Collingwood and St. Thomas, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
The Netherlands' contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest was dramatically expelled from competition hours before Saturday's final of the pan-continental pop competition, which has been rattled by protests over the participation of Israel.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Cyclist issued fine for striking four-year-old girl crossing the street
A cyclist turned herself in and received a fine after striking a four-year-old girl who was crossing the street to catch a school bus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.